Linda Vernel's Staging Area

The weather in Sydney around the race event is usually good for running with sunny and mild temperatures. Public transport to the event makes getting to the start line easy and entrants receiving free travel on the day. The expo/race swag is very basic don’t expect much more than receiving your bib number. The course itself starts at the harbour bridge and finishes at the Sydney Opera house two iconic sites which show off Sydney to its best. Unfortunately there are a LOT of switch backs on the course that I didn’t enjoy. The course spends a lot of distance in Centennial Park switching back and forth. In the last kms of the race it switches back again sending you onto a section of motorway when you are nearly within eyesight of the finish.
The drink stations were well run but I felt there could have been more. Spectators and entertainment were sparse, really only at the end there were a few spectators cheering on their loved ones.
There was no food offered at the end of the race, which really surprised me, I was only offered a water bottle. This definitely needs to change. I’ve run seven marathons and this was the first time no food/bananas or recovery drink had been offered. I received a finishers shirt and medal. Overall Sydney is a great location for an event like this but felt this was an expensive Marathon to enter and didn’t stack up in terms of generosity and support to other events I’ve run.